This invention relates to a multi-disc aircraft brake system and more particularly to a new and improved heat shield installation for an aircraft multi-disc friction braking system.
During the braking of an aircraft, the alternately splined stator and rotor discs of the multi-disc brakes are brought into sliding contact with each other, generating considerable heat energy that must be dissipated to eliminate the highly deteriorative effects on the wheel and tire structure which, in certain instances such as abortive or rejected take-off, can result in sufficiently high heat to result in tire ruptures or fires.
As the heat, heat energy or brake energy is generated within the braking elements of the stators and rotors (hereinafter also referred to as the heat sink), such heat energy is dissipated via conduction, radiation and convection to the adjacent braking components, such as the wheel assembly, bearings, pistons and other adjacent structures. It is important to limit the heat transfer to protect the structures as much as possible. One manner of protecting these areas is to provide a heat shield between the heat generating elements of the (stator and rotors) heat sink and the wheel assembly, and its adjacent components and bearings.
The heat shield is attached to the wheel usually by numerous bolts and thus tend to conduct heat from the shield into the wheel at the numerous bolted points of mounting. It is object of the present invention to provide means for securing the wheel heat shield to the wheel in such a way that the conduction of thermal energy into the wheel and its adjacent structures is minimized by eliminating entirely the heat shield bolted connection to the wheel. With the use of specially designed spacers in cooperative action with the torque bars the heat shield is held more securely in place both axially as well as tangentially. The torque bars also provide multiple points of contact around the circumference of the full circle heat shield to provide rigidity in the radial direction without affecting the accuracy of location of the torque bar thus providing a more efficient heat shield system.